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A. H. WRIGHT SERVICE TIMER Jan. 31. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Filed Sept. 16, 1954 I NVENTOR flLBfAT H. WR/GHT a vwwgw A. H. WRIGHTJan. 31. 1956 SERVICE TIMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1954(llllrll-llnl United States Patent and SERVICE TIMER Albert El. Wright,Kingston, Ontario, Canada Application September 16, 1954, Serial No.456,461 2 Claims. (Cl. 346-82) This invention relates to apparatus,including a clock mechanism, for recording the time occupied inperforming certain operations or work, and the chief object of thepresent invention is to devise a simple mechanism, including a printinghand, operated from an ordinary clock mechanism for providing a printedrecord of the length of time, or the equivalent value in money of saidtime, occupied in performing said work, and which is particularlyadapted for use by service or repair men for recording the time, orvalue thereof, involved in servicing or repairing devices of variouskinds, such, for example, as refrigerators, radios, television apparatusand many other installations.

A further object of the invention is to devise mechanism for thispurpose which may be readily reset at the commencement of the particularwork or job which is to be timed, and which will be conditioned to stampor print on the work sheet or ticket for the particular job the actualtime involved or the value thereof in money.

As the clock movement operates continuously, and as it is desirable thatthe printing means be advanced intermittently to avoid printing betweenthe indications on the printing band, an important object of theinvention is to devise simple and effective means for converting thecontinuous movement of the clock mechanism to an intermittent motion ofthe printing band to ensure that a proper time or value marking willappear on the work ticket or sheet.

These and other objects are attained by means of the constructionshereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich Fig. l is a side elevation of the recorder;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 in Fig. 4 is a verticalsection on the line 44 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view on a larger scale of the printing band drivemechanism;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on the line 77 in Fig.5;

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail on the line 8-8 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the recorder, partly broken away to show theelevating means for contacting the work sheet with the printing band;and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective detail view of the printing banddrive mechanism.

in the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

The recorder includes a housing 11, in which the operating and printingmechanism is mounted on a suitable frame comprising posts 12 whichsupport plates 13 and 14.

lournalled in the front wall of the housing is a shaft 15, on the outerend of which is mounted a knob 16 by means of which the shaft may berotated. This knob is provided with a pointer blade 17 which co-operateswith a dial 155 on the front wall of the housing.

The shaft is rotated by a gear train, such as that employed in anordinary clock, which gear train is indi- Fig. 2;

cated generally by the numeral 26 and which includes the usualescapement device 27. 2-0 is the mainspring of the clock mechanism,which spring has its inner end secured to the said shaft 15 and itsouter end secured to a stationary part, 24), Fig. 3.

To enable the spring motor to be wound without otherwise afiecting theclock mechanism, the gear 21 of said clock mechanism, which is mountedon the shaft 15, is free to rotate relative to the shaft, but isnormally rotated with the shaft by a dished member 22 of springymaterial, which is fixed on the shaft 15 to rotate therewith, and theperipheral edge portion of which bears against the side of said gear 21to provide in effect a clutch arrangement to drive the said gear tooperate the clock mechanism. This clutch arrangement, comprising thegear 21 and the dished member 22, will permit of the necessary slippageto enable the spring 20 to be wound. It will be evident, of course, thatother means may be substituted for the clutch arrangement shown to drivethe clock mechanism while permitting the winding of the spring.

Zournalled in the plate 13 is a shaft 23, on one end of which is mountedthe printing wheel, which comprises a disk 24 on which is mounted a bandor ring 25 on the peripheral surface of which the type is formed ormounted. The ring or band 25 is preferably formed of rubber, and is alsodetachable to permit of the substitution of a replacement ring or bandwith other type thereon.

The shaft 23 with the printing wheel thereon is driven from the shaft15. The clock mechanism runs continuously while under the influence ofits spring 2%, but to en sure obtaining a proper imprint from theappropriate type on the printing wheel, it is necessary to rotate theprinting wheel with a step by step or intermittent movement. To achievethis result, l employ the mechanism now to be described.

Supported on the frame between the plates 13 and 14 is a stationaryratch or rack member 23 having a central opening. Surrounding theopening the ratch member 28 is provided on its surface with an annularrow of teeth or abutments 2 Co-operating with these teeth is an escapelever 30 mounted on the shaft 23 and having a pin 31 on its under sidewhich engages the teeth or abutments 29.

In the form shown the rack member 23 is formed from flat stock and isprovided with L-shaped slits surrounding the central opening, thetongues formed within the L-shaped slits 19 being bent to form theoutwardly inclined teeth or projections H. The upper ends of the teethnormally lie in the path of the pin 31 and serve to prevent movement ofthe escape lever 30, as indicated in Fig. 8.

To enable the escape lever 3d to be rotated, it is necessary to liftsaid lever 30 each time the pin 31 engages a tooth 29 to enable the pinto pass over the tooth.

The shaft 23 is therefore arranged in its bearing to permit axial aswell as rotary movement. A coil spring 32 mounted about the shaftbetween its bearing and the lever 31; tends to move said leverdownwardly to project the pin 31 between the teeth 29 of the ratch. T heshifting of the lever 3 3 is effected by a carrier member 33 on the endof the shaft 15 and rotatable therewith. This carrier member has formedthereon an upwardly inclined cam surface 34 and a stop or shoulder 35between which a second pin 36 on the under side of the lever 3% projectsas shown particularly in Figs. 7 and 10.

The lever 3%, however, is actually rotated by an arm 37 extending from apost 58 on said carrier member 33, which engages the pin 36 and holdssaid pin against the stop or shoulder 35. This arm 37 is formed ofspringy material.

Co-operating with the printing wheel is a platen 38 on which the worksheet or ticket is placed to be printed on by the type on the wheel.This platen is normally spaced from the wheel, but is adapted to bemoved to engage the work sheet with the type. The platen is mounted onone end of a pair of levers 39 pivoted intermediate their ends on a post40. The other ends of these levers 39 are pivotally connected to thespaced arms of a fork-shaped member 41, which is normally held in raisedposition by springs 42. This forked member 41 is provided with an upwardextension 43 which is provided with a head 44 extending through the topof the housing 11. The back wall of the housing is provided with a slotor opening above the platen to permit the positioning of the work sheetor ticket over the platen for printing.

The dial 18, as shown, is divided into four main divisions, eachcorresponding to one hour in time, and each division is divided into tensubdivisions, each the equivalent of six minutes. The ratch member 23 isprovided with a tooth or abutment 29 for each subdivision on the dial,and the groups of characters on the printing wheel will also correspondin number and spacing with the teeth 29 on the ratch member.

The recorder is used as follows. At the commencement of the job, themain spring is wound up tightly, at which time the indicator blade 17will be in alinement with the starting indication 45, as indicated inFig. 1, and the spring 20 will then function to operate the gear train26 to rotate the shaft 15 and with it the carrier 33 and the arm 37,which arm 37 tends to rotate the escape lever 30 and with it the shaft23 on which the printing wheel is mounted.

The movement of the escape lever is, however, prevented by theengagement of the pin 31 with a tooth 29. As the shaft 15 continues torotate while the escape lever is held from rotation, the pin 36 on theescape lever is forced to ride up the cam 34, at the same time bendingthe arm 37 to put it under tension. As soon as the pin 36, as it ridesup the cam 34, moves the escape lever sufliciently to disengage the pin31 from the tooth 29 with which it has been engaged, the arm 37 swingsahead and with it the escape lever 30 and thus rotates the associatedparts operated thereby including the printing wheel, while the spring 32pushes the escape lever back to position the pin 31 in front of the nexttooth to prevent further movement. This procedure is allowed to continueuntil the workman or serviceman has completed his job, when the workmanwill place the work sheet or ticket over the platen, push down on thehead 44 to cause the raising of the platen to engage the ticket or sheetwith the type located immediately above it on the printing wheel.

It will be evident therefore that the marking on the ticket willindicate either the time spent on the work, or the value of such time,depending on the indications on the printing wheel.

When another job is started, the recorder will be reset by moving theknob 16 back to starting position, which will naturally also wind up themainspring 20, this being possible without actuating the clock mechanismdue to the slippage permitted by the clutch device mounted on the shaft15.

At the same time, the printing wheel will be returned to startingposition, this being effected by the stop 35 engaging the pin 36 torotate the escape lever 30 in the return direction. This return movementis possible due to th act that the abutments or teeth 2? are one-way 4abutments, that is, they have one abrupt side and one inclined side, upwhich latter the pin 31 will ride.

The stop 35 and cam 34 on the carrier member 33 must necessarily behigher than the teeth 29 of the ratch 28 to prevent disengagement of thepin 36 from the member 33 by the lifting operation by said teeth.

it will be seen that I have devised a simple time recorder adapted forthe particular purpose intended by means of which the time, or the valueof the time involved on a particular job may be kept and recorded on ajob sheet or ticket, and which may be quickly reset for recording theextent of the next job.

The periphery of the printing wheel, being a removable belt, may bereadily removed when desired and another one substituted, as would benecessary in a case where the belt prints the cost of the time involvedin dollars and cents and the rate per hour is varied.

What is claimed is:

l. A time recorder comprising a supporting frame; a driving shaft and adriven shaft journalled in axial aline- .ent in said frame; clockmechanism for actuating the driving shaft continuously; a printing bandactuated by the driven shaft; and means actuated by the driving shaftfor effecting a step by step rotation of said driven shaft as thedriving shaft rotates and comprising a ratch having an annular row orabutments arranged about the axes of said shafts, an escape lever on thedriven shaft, said driven shaft being movable longitudinally of itsaxis, resilient means normally tending to hold the driven shaft with theescape lever engaging an abutment on the ratch, and a driving membermounted on and rotatable with the driving shaft, said driving memberincluding an arm of springy material engaging said escape lever, a camfor moving the escape lever out of contact with said abutment, and astop disposed adjacent said cam, the structure being characterized inthat an element of the escape lever intervenes said cam and said stop.

2. A time recorder comprising a supporting frame; a driving shaft and adriven shaft journalled in axial alinement in said frame; clockmechanism for actuating the driving shaft continuously; a printing bandactuated by the driven shaft; and means actuated by the driving shaftfor effecting a step by step rotation of said driven shaft as thedriving shaft rotates and comprising a ratch having an annular row ofabutments arranged about the axes of said shafts, an escape lever on thedriven shaft, said driven shaft being movable longtudinally of its axis,resilient means normally tending to hold the driven shaft with theescape lever engaging an abutment on the ratch, and a driving membermounted on and rotatable with the driving shaft, said driving memberhaving a stop thereon engaging the escape lever, and an outwardlyinclined cam surface adjacent said stop for moving the escape lever outof contact with the abutment, and resilient means normally tending tohold the escape lever against the stop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS500,037 Sage June 20, 1893 833,223 Kirksey Oct. 16, 1906 1,115,102 PerryOct. 27, 1914 1,760,760 Long May 27, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,125 GreatBritain Apr. 23, 1914

